Cassie -- no longer on that journey

2007-04-21T22:18:00.000-05:00

I have decided that I really do not have the time to blog. I really should be studying rather than sitting here on the computer... Also, what would I write about? Let me think, I had an exceedingly strange dream last night and was woken by trains several times throughout the night. Oh, I know. My friend and I had a very interesting conversation with two older gentlemen this morning in the coffee shop. One of them was a psych major in college and he has a test that he gives to individuals (I greatly doubt that any reliability and validity stats have been ran on this "test", but oh well -- it was fun). On second thought, scratch that story. It was interesting until I tried to type it out.

See, I got nothin'. I am going to bed.

2007-03-26T15:22:00.000-05:00

I have thought about blogging again, but I am thinking I have neglected to update for so long that no one stops by any longer. Am I right?

An American tradition

2006-10-22T18:48:00.000-05:00

Another baking party, and this time it was apple pie. I did not get any pictures of the process, only the finished product.

John (he really enjoyed the homemade apple pie as it was his first in a long time) May, Owin, Channel and some strange guy with a bowl on his head (Lawrence).
May preparing for a pie eating contest.

Owin liked the pie also... but not as much as the cookies.

As the party was winding down, an conversation orchestrated by the Holy Spirit arose. Channel was talking about how she believed Christians should act (not doing the bad things). We were able to talk about our sinfulness as humans and that being a Christian was not about how we acted, but only that we trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. Although it was not a long, in-depth conversation, the Truth was spoken. Thanks be to God for a good time, the apple pie and the opportunity to tell about Jesus!

2006-10-20T04:37:00.000-05:00

In response to a not so subtle hint for an update, here are some pics from a bbq we had last weekend. It was a Hawaiian themed bbq, hence the grass skirts, leis and funny hats. I do not think the pictures require too much commentary, so enjoy.

Some pics from Arkansas

2006-09-12T16:53:00.000-05:00

Well, I am back in Macau. After sleeping in and missing my flight, I was finally able to get here. My time at home was so blessed. I got to see family and friends, eat some Mexican food and the unrivaled Grandma food, and I was also able to see one of my best friends get married. It was so great and refreshing to be home and now it is great to be back in Macau. God is good.

Some pictures of my time at home in Arkansas.

Dinner with the family, a couple of friends and of course, the ever present dogs. (You are gonna love it Sam).

Dinner with friends

While all of the adults looked the same, all of the kids looked so different and BIG.

The view from my house. This is definitely one of the things I missed most while in Macau.

As it is 6ish and I have been up for several hours at this point, I going to call it quits for this jet-lag induced, early morning entry. I need sleep.

Going Home

2006-08-09T18:12:00.000-05:00

Typhoons aside, and God willing, I plan to leave Macau today. I will first be traveling to the typhoon prone island of Taiwan and then catching a plane for America. So I will either see you soon or see you in a month. Bye for now.

Cassie

2006-07-28T00:42:00.000-05:00

I have been struggling lately and as usual, it took the Lord to show me the source of my struggle. Anger. I have been angry at my friends here for their stubborn hearts, at the way they blame God for their lack of faith. "It is hard for the Chinese people to believe in Jesus, because that means many of our ancestors are in hell now". I have heard this thought many, many times from my friends. They want to know why Jesus came to the "western" people and not to the Chinese people. In essence what they are saying is that because Jesus did not reveal Himself in the way they think He should have, they can't believe.

Stop blaming God for your hardened hearts! Repent and turn to Jesus! Stop rejecting this gracious gift He is offering!

Then there is my atheist friend that believes science holds the answer to everything and if we wait long enough all of the questions we have will be answered. Can science fill that big, gaping wound in your heart? No. And while you are waiting for your questions to be answered by science, you will find yourself separated from the true answer for eternity.

Stop looking for solutions within yourself! Repent and turn to Jesus! Stop rejecting this gracious gift He is offering!

Now to myself, does the fact that my friends (and myself) are stubborn, unrepentant sinners mean that Jesus loves them (and me) any less? Does it mean that they are less deserving of my prayers, love and tears?

"I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent" Luke 15:7

No, it does not.

Stop hardening my heart to these souls crying out in anguish! Repent and turn to Jesus! Stop rejecting the gracious gift he is offering!

Praise God that He is everything we are not. His love, mercy and patience knows no bounds. He hears the cry of anguished souls and gives himself.

Please pray for my friends here, that they may repent and turn to the source of all, our Lord Jesus Christ. Please pray for me that I may repent and turn to the Lord to be cleansed and used as He would see fit. Lord draw us all closer to you for the sake of your Son, Jesus.

Amen.

More fun involving an oven

2006-07-24T00:57:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, Ruth graciously let us use her apartment to have a party. We played some games, ate some food and baked cookies. Here are some pics from that night.

One funny story to share with you. Since I have been here in Macau, I have been inundated with information about what is good for my health and bad for my health, what will make my skin pretty and what will make it have pimples, what will make me fat and what will make me skinny. I get the complete nutrional run-down of anything that is seen entering my mouth. This night, however, was the first time I have been told that water will "make you fat". Hmmmm. My response "Uhhhh... no it won't". After thinking about it, I came to the conclusion that this is one of those instances where a lack of language lead to miscommunication. She probably meant that if I drink too much water, it will make me bloated or something like that. I am pretty sure my friend has never really needed to use the word bloated before, and believe me, I will not teach her. Who knows what I would learn about the food I am eating then.

Anyway, back to the pictures.

I am sure that by taking this photo, I interrupted a deep conversation about the meaning of life, but they seem ok with the interruption.

Joe, Molly and May on the other hand are learning to make cookies.

Dereck always hides from the camera, but I caught him this time.
More kitchen photos. I know why little baking is done in this part of the world. It is because they have no air in the kitchens, so it gets unbelievably hot with an oven on.

I think Joe was the master chef on this night.

2006-07-24T00:33:00.000-05:00

I recently acquired a small oven that with a temperature setting. This modern marvel allows me to make cookies, cakes, brownies... and just about anything else you can think of that is loaded with sugar and therefore doesn't make it past the boarder into this country. Here are some pictures of the first time I made homemade chocolate chip cookies in about a year. My friend Channel (as in TV, not the designer), her husband Ray and son Owen came over to help with the cookies. Most people here do not own an oven so they have few opportunities to eat any type of homemade-baked goods. In my opinion, this is a tragedy. I mean does anything taste better than chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven with a glass of milk? I am trying hard to think of something, but nothing is coming to mind at the moment. I think Owen would agree with me too. I think we made enough batter for over 125 cookies and my oven is small (only room enough for nine cookies at a time), so the entire cookie making adventure took around three hours. But I think you can see that it was well worth the time. Owen loved the cookies and kept saying "mmmmm, so sweet!"

Team Day

2006-06-30T19:05:00.000-05:00

A couple of weekends ago, our team in Macau and the team from our sister center had ... what else, but a team day. We went to a park and proceeded to eat a lot of food and have a lot of fun.

Here is May, over-seeing the bbq-ing.

More over-seeing of the cooking... all that was required of us was a big stomach and a willingness to fill it.

Waiting for the work to begin.

We were up for the task. Yes, I spilled something on myself and it didn't come out in the wash. The t-shirt took one for the team.

I don't really know what Chris is up to in this picture... your guess is as good as mine.

Ann and I on our kickin' tandem bike. You know on those old Double Mint gum commercials, they make riding one of these things look so easy. Again, just another way that TV fools its viewers. I try to imagine what we all looked like to the Chinese people there. A bunch of big foreigners, on bikes that were too small for some of them, driving around like crazy people, falling over and laughing. I think we did the phrase "loud Americans" proud on that day.

The destination for our bike ride.

Most of us also rode a zip-cord across a lake. Here is Chris, he decided to forsake the rules and just try it with one arm. Later, he abandoned completey the idea of holding onto the metal thing that we were supposed to hang onto (I don't know what to call it), until two seconds before he slammed into the pad that stopped him.

A group photo (pretty obvious, huh?)

2006-05-25T08:36:00.000-05:00

I think I have mentioned on here before that I teach two classes at a university here in Macau. If I haven't mentioned it, then I teach two classes at a university here in Macau. Today we had an extra class before their final, so it was just a goof-off, play games, take pictures sort of day. Therefore, I have pictures to share with you. Both classes are mid-level classes and I think the majority of the students are in their second year (about 19 years old).

Next, Eating. Always fun. Each month, our English Center hosts some type of social event. This month, we decided to welcome the new teachers with a traditional Chinese banquet. And I have pictures.

Top left shows the group and the bottom right pictures shows two of our new teachers, Marie and Dan, and a student, and our first course... the pig.

Other than teaching and just general hanging out, this is what I have been up to, more hanging out. It is a strange thing, I have noticed that the more Macau feels like home and the more I do things like I did at home, the more homesick I get. Hmmm. Any thoughts on that one? It seems like it would be the opposite. Anyhow, depsite the nagging sense of just plain homesickness that creeps up at odd moments, things are great. Praise God! He is so good, all of the time. And that's all I have for now...

Pictures

2006-05-10T09:27:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures from this past weekend when a few of us went ice-skating. Actually they were taken before we started skating, but it was the best I could do because I don't think taking pictures while ice-skating would be a wise thing to do, well for me anyway.

Ruth and Derek

All of us, minus a few late comers and the picture taker, Lawrence. It is required that you wear gloves just in case you wonder why we have them on.

Lawrence and me. That's right, I am an English teacher and I just wrote "Lawrence and me". "Lawrence and I" just doesn't seem to fit in the caption. Lawrence also let me drive his car around the Macau dome. It had been so long since I had driven a car, ahhh.

Ken and Shirley

Post ice-skating refreshments.

And obviously this is not ice-skating, but is on here just because he was trying SO hard to smile.

I can't sleep...

2006-04-18T12:10:00.000-05:00

... And these are some of the things I think about late at night.

Sometimes, I trip over things that only I can see. It's true. Also, the sidewalk will be unlevel only in the place I am walking, or that last step will disappear only when I am trying to step on it. In the past, I have jokingly explained away any gravitational mishaps that have befallen me with a shrugged explanation of "I am clumsy". You know, it is one of those things that if I bring out into the open the fact that I just tripped over that crack in the sidewalk, then we can all get a good laugh out of it and save my face some blushing. However, if I do not say something about, then I am robbing people of the joy of laughing at/with me because they may be too polite to laugh. It just sort of hangs there with everyone wanting to laugh, but they don't. Such occurrences can be awkward. Anyway, the thing is, I never really believed this about myself, the clumsiness that is. I do not know why, it must have been one of those delusional, self-denial things.

Today, my eyes were opened. I can finally admit it openly and without the need to use this admission as a cover-up for embarrassment, I AM Clumsy. Whew. Glad that is over with. What, you ask, led to this epiphany? Well, it may have been the fact that I just now tripped over my shoes, or it may have been the fact that someone added an extra step to the staircase today, or it could have been me thinking to myself, as the glass lid to my pot is twirling on the tile floor of my kitchen like a top, "I sure am glad that didn't break", deja-vu ( and this is the kind of deja-vu that is defined by a sense of dull familiarity.) After these three things happened to me today, it was like all the pieces of the puzzle started fitting together. I thought back to other events like the time I fell out of my chair just so I could put a hole in the floor. I recalled the countless times I have excused a near fall by saying that my legs must be tired from exercising earlier ( I still think this one might apply sometimes). Now, I feel free. I do not need to make excuses anymore. I can just say that I am clumsy.

I wonder though, what might have happened had I admitted this to myself earlier. Maybe I could have gotten professional help with this issue and reached my true potential. I might have been playing for the WNBA right now instead of sitting here at 1:30 in the AM!! writing this crap. Maybe I will start a support group, so other people suffering from this can know that they are not alone. Les, it is ok.

I can make fun of this because a) it is true, I am clumsy and b) I am training to be a counselor so I hear stuff like this. I would compare it to the whole, I can make fun of my family but you can't, sort of thing. Alright, enough. I am going to attempt to walk to my bed and get in it without falling or tripping or bumping into any of my mysteriously moving furniture. Good night.

"I Gave Up Alcohol for Lent"

2006-04-06T21:20:00.000-05:00

These words were the beginning of the following conversation I had with a friend, who shall remain anonymous.

"I gave up alcohol for lent" said my friend.

"Really?" I replied.

"Yeah, I haven't had any alcohol, well, except one time when I swallowed a bug and then I had to drink a beer" said my friend.

"Good excuse, Trish (oops, so much for anonymity)" I replied sarcastically.

"No really," she said, "I was riding in the car and I swallowed a huge bug and the only thing in the car to drink was a beer. No one would believe me when I told them how big the bug was, but then I felt something on my tongue and I got TWO LEGS off of my tongue! And then I wiped them on Brock (laughter). The bug wouldn't go down so I had to take a drink of Brock's beer and it was his leftover beer, so it tasted like horse pee."

Yes this conversation actually took place. Many have taken place in the past, and I don't foresee the cessation of such conversations in the future. Fun times!! Well that was my fun for the day and I thought I would share it with everyone, with Trish's permission of course.

And to my bug-eating, beer-drinking and apparently horse pee-drinking friend, Cheers!

2006-04-02T09:41:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures from last week. My mother and I in front of the ruins of St. Paul's. This is the must see spot when someone visits Macau.
This is a picture of the Arkansas team, as they were dubbed, on the hill that the people from Macau call a mountain. I cannot justify calling this slope a mountain, but it is the highest point in Macau and affords a nice view of the city. From left to right is my mother, Robin, Ann, Renee and Pastor Curt.

This picture was taken during a very informative tour given to us by some students that were born and raised in Macau.
Here, our group is in Hong Kong at the Gertrude Simon Lutheran School. We held an English camp... of sorts. Also in this picture is May, Sharon and the principal of the school Mr. Lai.

The day after the English camp, some of the students and teachers offerred to show us around Hong Kong. We began our tour with a trip to the famous Victoria's Peak and then had lunch in Central followed by a scenic walking tour of the Central business district. Below is a picture of the whole group minus the photographer.
Here is a pic of some of the teachers that helped to show us around.

And this is picture of some building ( I think it is the legislative counsel building) and the skyline of Central Hong Kong.

More later.

Just as a side note, if anyone (eh-hmm) finds any typos, I do hope you enjoy them and get a nice laugh out of them.

Poignant Collision

2006-03-26T02:45:00.000-06:00

Sitting in church this weekend, I see the picture that is somewhere in this entry. (It is of poor quality and I have no idea where its final resting place within this entry will be. Sorry) For me this picture represents two different lives, the life I live in Arkansas and the life I live in Macau.

It was a startling thing indeed to hear the voice of my pastor say the same thing that I heard back home most Sundays in church, "brothers and sisters in Christ". This familiar voice from home was then followed by the now familiar voice of Michael Wu as he translated the words for everyone.

What exactly do I feel about this? or to use a cliche and very poor counseling question... how does this make me feel? I do not know. Please allow me to think aloud for a while. During church, the words that were spoken brought moved me to tears, but they were not tears of sadness or tears of joy. They were tears of deep emotions. I guess that seeing my pastor and Michael together sharing God's word with so many others, brought such a great awareness of how much and how irrevocably my life has changed. This is a great thing, so maybe they were tears of joy, but I just did not recognize it at the time.

I think unconciously, some part of me worried at how these two dramatically different lives that I am a part of, or that are a part of me, could be combined. Where did I fit in, where did I belong? Where will I fit in, where will I belong? I have the answer now and it is the same answer that I eventually come to whenever I have thoughts or worries. The answer is in Christ.

I started writing this last week and stopped short of finishing it and posting it. I am not sure of where I was going or if I had a point other than the one that I came to, but I thought that I would post it anyway. It is sort of like an unedited version. I actually have several drafts saved on here so maybe I will start posting them. We shall see.

I wanna cry

2006-03-11T01:21:00.000-06:00

After saying "good morning" "hello" and "good-bye" to my door man all within the same sentence, I made my way into the elevator and up to my apartment. The doors slowly slide open to reveal (here is the part where I want to cry) my bathtub sitting in the hall. Yep, the much talked about, highly anticpated bathtub is gone, out the door, over-with, waving good-bye. I just wanted the thing repaired, but like many other experiences I have had here, my logical solution to a problem is not other people's logical solution to a problem. Pesky little drainage issue with the bathtub, No Problem... Rip it out!! Where is Roto-rooter when you need them? Did I mention that they are replacing said bathtub with a shower? Oh well, at least I will be clean.

The next thing that makes me want to cry is the not-so-thin layer of dust that covers every surface of my apartment. Just last week, I breathed a sigh of contentment as I finished scrubbing my apartment and getting everything put exactly where I wanted it. Now, everything is shoved into my bedroom, and the scrubbing was for naught. I think if I wait until my bathtub is "fixed", I can just add water and have a grand ole time playing in the mud. I am trying very hard to find humor in this situation, but sitting at work on my day off, having people destroy my apartment and simultaneously smoke it up while ripping out my bathtub just isn't conducive to humor.

Ok, optimism, optimism where have you gone? The contents of my fridge do not have dust on them. My mom is coming soon, she likes to clean;)

See that? That is where my bathtub used to be.

It's new location. (frown)

2006-03-03T22:34:00.000-06:00

I often experience a struggle within myself regarding when I should speak and when I should just be. I know that at all times I should BE Christ's love to other people and that sometimes I should speak this love to them as well. However, I also know that quite honestly I like to hear myself talk and arrogantly pride myself on how smart I am and Oh My, what a good Christian I am, so that not always are the "words of love" from the Holy Spirit. God revealed this fault to me in a way that is still tearing at me.

Let me provide the context. Tuesday nights the Bible study at our center is completely in English and on Friday nights, it is offered in Chinese so that those attending are able to hear God's word in their own language and grow in faith. One lady that has been attending our center for three years now, stopped going to the Friday night Bible study when it began to be offered in Chinese (although she religiously makes it for the Tuesday night Bible study). She came this past Friday night.

Wanting to know what effect hearing God's word in her own language had on her, I struck up a conversation with her. We talked about doubts and having questions and many other things that have been the topic of our conversations before. Nearing the end of our conversation, she shared with me that she did not believe yet, to which I just nodded. Her next question was, "Do you mind?" I was confused. Of course I minded that she is not a Christian. If I did not care whether she was a Christian, then I would not be standing here talking to her. She knows these things. These were my thoughts to myself. And then I realized her meaning. It was not "Do I mind that she is not a Christian", it was "Do I Care"? Do I still care about HER even though she does not believe? That is what she meant. I am still reeling from this. How do I answer that? Words certainly are worthless at this point. I can say yes, but obviously if she feels the need to ask that question, then my actions have belied any words that I have said to this point. Even as I am typing this, I can feel something in me that seeks to make this thing that I have done appear less than it is.

However, I am not going tell this story and then try to make it look not quite so bad by saying that "we Christians do this" and "we as Christians do that", I am offering up my own personal sin and consequent failings as a servant of Christ. I have failed. I have turned the grace that God has given us into works. I have emptied the my work of the power of the Holy Spirit by trying to do it on my own.

In keeping with the season of lent, I pray to God that this part of myself may be what I give up. And this too, I cannot do alone.

Wednesday's

2006-02-22T05:57:00.000-06:00

I am in love... With a handsome little 8 year old who plays with my hair. His name is Leon and if I were to pick a future career for Leon, it would have to be a hair-dresser. Not a barber, nope, no buzz cuts from this kid, he will definitely be a stylist. He is going to create master hair pieces or masterpiece hairs or something. For those of you who know me, even if only a little and I have think I have mentioned it on here before, you probably know that I LOVE (do I need to stress that a little more) love to have my hair played with. So the day that Leon first started playing with my hair was the day that he took up permanent residence on my "favorites" list, you know, the one that teachers are not supposed to have but really do. Some days he gets a little confused and sort of just holds my hair as I am trying to walk around the room, but I think I am starting to adjust to having a small child hanging onto my ponytail. I hardly even notice it anymore. If he starts trying to defeat the laws of gravity whilst anchoring himself to my head via my hair, I may have to do something about it, but for now it is nice.

Wednesday is my day to teach at the middle school, so my time with the students is fresh on my mind. Wednesday's are different than every other day. I have to plan twice as much for this day and work twice as hard to teach, so the days leading up to Wednesdays are not the best of the week. But once I get to the school and walk in the door, it is twice as fun and I get twice as many hugs. I would say it is a good trade off. And just in case you can't tell, I am not in love with only Leon, the rest of the class just doesn't play with my hair.

2006-02-17T23:13:00.000-06:00

Apparently, I like junk. Added to that trait is a proficiency in accumulating it. Put those two together and viola, you come up with my present situation. I have recently moved into a new apartment and while the apartment it wonderful (it even has a bathtub!!!) I just have entirely too much stuff. Yeah, at this point you are probably calculating just how long I have been here (6 months) and thinking to yourself "how can you get that much junk in such a short time". I agree and believe me, as I am shifting through the left over junk, uh, I mean treasures, from previous tenants and shifting through the junk that I have have brought over from my apartment, the picture of a trash bin keeps springing to mind.

But for some reason, and I do not know when I developed this trait, I keep telling myself, "one day you will be glad that you kept that." You know they are small things like plane tickets from trips or a little note that someone wrote me. Like I said, I don't know when I developed this trait, because in the past I have been a less than sentimental person. I threw everything away. Now I can throw nothing away. I am going to blame it on Heather. You must have rubbed off on me. Who knows, maybe I will take up scrap-booking... Nah.

Oh yeah, and if you are wondering the point of this rambling entry, it was to inform you that I have moved:)

the Latest Goings On

2006-02-14T19:56:00.000-06:00

Ok, so what has been going on since... whenever it is that I last updated everyone. I wrapped up the first semester at the middle school and university where I teach, finished up the term at the English center and headed off for vacation. The first trip was to Bangkok, Thailand to visit some friends from orientation, see the city, and to make a new friend. Upon arriving at Robin's (aka Birdie) home, I was told that a student new to the center had offered to show us
around Bangkok and a nearby city. She was to be our own personal tour guide. The places that she showed us were amazing enough, but it was her
hospitality that made our trip such fun. I
think that my idea of hospitality has forever been altered and I only hope that in the future, whenever it is tourist season in Lafe, Arkansas (pop. 316) I will be able to be as gracious a host as she was.

After that it was off to Indonesia. This trip was such a blessing and a stretch of many, many things, but God is faithful and did more than just get me through it, He blessed me through it. Myself and four others working in Taiwan and Macau, headed off for Banda Aceh, Indonesia to teach English in schools that had been devastated by the tsunami a year ago. Teaching in this school system was a trip. There was no organization in the form of a teaching schedule, or if there was then I was not made aware of it.

This is sort of how the day would go. School officially started at 8:00 am, so I would be dropped off at the school at 8:00 or around there (they operate on "rubber time") to be whisked off to a classroom, with no idea of what level I would be teaching nor for how long I would be teaching them. As the week wore on, one more area of uncertainty was added to the already confusing mix of questions... had I taught this class already?! I had no idea whether these children would understand what I was trying to teach or if it would be so easy they would get bored. So there I was standing in front of a class full of sweetly expectant and eager faces and in my mind I was calmly analyzing the situation and thinking through a series of questions. You know, the normal sort that most have whenever they are faced with uncertain situations... "WHAT IN THE WORLD AM I SUPPOSED TO DO NOW?!?!"

Well, the logical answer came to mind. If you do not know something, ask questions. Perfect! Why didn't I think of that to begin with? That became part of my lesson plan, find out what I am supposed to be doing and then plan a lesson all within 5-10 minutes. I would then have a class that could last from 30 minutes to 90 minutes. I never knew for sure when the class would end and my signal that class was ending usually appeared in the form of someone coming to the door say, "Ok, you stop now". Then it was off to another class to repeat the entire process again, until it was time to stop at around 2:00. Perhaps I am exaggerating a small bit, but that is what it felt like at first. Sort of like an improv, stand-up comedy act. Regardless of the difficulties, it was a great experience. I met some absolutely amazing people that I am privileged to call friends, I saw more of God's amazing creation and I was able to experience once again God's strength in the place of my weaknesses. It was a good time.

This is me with some of the teachers from the school where I taught and below are some students from one of the 17 schools in Banda Aceh.

And below are some of the wonderful people working in Banda Aceh that I can know call friends.

After returning from Indonesia, Chris and I headed off to Singapore. It is an amazingly clean and modern city, which I must say was quite different from Indonesia. Chris and I did the typical tourists things in Singapore, but I do not have any pictures right now. They are still on Chris's camera. I hope to be able to share those with you soon.

Now, it is back to Macau and teaching, which I must say is great also. After being away from everyone in Macau for nearly a month, I was so happy to see my students and friends. And quite honestly, I struggle to come up with something better than being greeted by the smiles and hugs of 38 lively children.

Well, that was a quick overview of what has been happening lately. If you would like more details and stories, I would love to tell you. Send me an email, write me a letter or give me a call. I would love to hear from everyone. Wrapping up, I ask that you would please continue to pray for the people here in Macau and for the continued strengthening of relationships and that our Lord will be glorified through them and I thank God for your prayers, support and love.

In Christ's love,

Cassie

Indonesia

2006-02-08T00:51:00.000-06:00

Hello All,

I am back from Indonesia and with many stories to tell. However, Chris and Anna have done such a wonderful job of documenting much of our time in Banda Aceh that rather than struggling to write catchy lines and witty jokes that will probably just flop anyway... I will let them tell about it. Here is Chris's blog http://macauchris.blogspot.com (it is not linked because I have not figured out how to do it and do not really have time to at the moment) and here is Anna's blog http://amazingadventuresaway.blogspot.com Enjoy!

Well that is all for now. I am hoping to have more time soon to keep you updated about things here in Macau, but for now this will have to suffice. I pray all is well and may God keep you in His peace.

2005-12-15T09:39:00.000-06:00

Good News everyone... They celebrate Christmas in Macau. Well, semi-good news. Although they do celebrate Christmas here in Macau, it tends to be more a means to make money than to celebrate the birth of Jesus. But at least the concept of Christmas is not a novel one and therefore it is much easier to begin a discussion of the true reason we celebrate Christmas. Jesus's birth. God works through many things to bring people unto Himself and it is my prayer that He would work through misconstrued notions of what Christmas is about, in order to bring people to a knowledge of Him.

And I too get to benefit from the Macanese celebration of Christmas. The square outside of my house is littered with lights and poinsettias and santa clauses and a big Christmas tree. Below are some pictures. So although this Christmas I will be away from my friends and family and baking cookies... at least I have the decorations.

God's Peace and Joy to you!

This is my street that leads out into the main square. Please note the nice poinsettias in the middle of the street.

This is a cafe that is right outside my apartment door. The big santa clause sings and swings his hips. The Chinese love it. There is usually someone standing beside the santa getting their picutre made with him.
The above picture is the square that my street opens to and this picutre is taken facing the Christmas tree. The picture below is taken from the Christmas tree.

And this is the Christmas tree/fountain/sculpture display... you name it and the place has probably been it. Most of the time this space is a fountain, but upon occasion, the water will disappear and something will take its place. AKA, A Christmas tree.

... Four Months Later

2005-12-07T05:59:00.000-06:00

It is almost incomprehensible how quickly time has passed over the last few months. And, if I may be cliche, it seems like only yesterday that myself and the rest of the orientees were sitting in a classroom bleary-eyed, sleep deprived, and hungover from jet lag. Now four months later it is time for some members to depart from our midst. When it comes to good-byes, there are usually so many things that I feel should be said, but when it comes down to it, thank you is really all there is to say. Thank you for being a part of my life and thank you for letting me be a part of yours. 'Til we meet again.

On a happier note, here is a couple of pictures of my middle school students. In America, most teachers would probably consider being mimicked by students to be insolent and disrespectful behavior. However when teaching ESL, that is the major mode of learning. Listening and Repeating. Sounds simple enough and it is until...

The room is filled with 38 children happily chattering away. I attempt to get there attention by any means available to me. This is a little of the dialogue that takes place.

Round 1

Teacher: Please be quiet
Students: Please be quiet

Teacher: No talking
Students: No talking

Teacher: (puts finger against mouth) Shhh
Students: (puts finger against mouth) Shhh

Teacher: helpless and frustrated laughter
Students: devilish grins and snickers (they know what they are doing)

Round 2: see Round 1

Yeah, I am still working on that one.

This picture is on here just because I told Joel that it was going on the blog.

One final note, if you would like to see some pictures from the Ablaze Summit that our team attended over Thanksgiving, visit Chris's blog http://macauchris.blogspot.com He is a super photographer.

2005-12-06T08:56:00.000-06:00

I thought I would share with you, by pictures, some of the things that I have been doing and have seen. There is no order or reason, just random pictures.

The above two are hiking in Coloane, I think this event occurred in October. Many students from the center came on the hike so it was a great time to get to know everyone a little better and in a setting other than the English Center.

The above two pictures are of Penha Church. It is a Catholic church that sets atop a hill at the tip of the peninsula and below is a view of the Macau tower and Taipa from Penha hill.

I really do not know what was going on in the two pictures below and did not ask anyone as I was taking the pictures. I was out walking around the city and happened upon this event. One interesting story about this day. I decided to walk around and see if I could get lost. If you will recall from earlier posts, this was not a hard thing to do when I first arrived. Now I have found that I am having difficulty getting lost. The more I walk around, the more I realize just how small Macau is. There is always some visible land mark that alerts me to where I am at any given time. I have been told that if it is really my goal to get lost, then I should venture more towards the China boarder. We shall see how that goes.

In the background is the Ruins of St. Paul, it is very famous in Macau and things like this are going on there on an almost weekly basis.

Well that is all for now. God's Blessings and Peace.

Christmas in Macau

2005-12-04T10:51:00.000-06:00

It is December 4th, 21 days until Christmas, and nary a thought of the holiday season has entered my mind. Until I spoke with a friend back home tonight. Christmas here in Macau is strictly a commercial holiday. There is no attempt made to pretend that the celebration of this holiday is for any other purpose than to make money. Maybe that is why I have given relatively little thought to my favorite time of the year. Maybe it is because Christmas over here is different. It is still something that is new to me. I do not know what to expect and there are no strong and poignant memories attached to the season here in Macau. Ok so the real reason is probably because I do not want to get homesick.

Strong and poignant memories rushed to the forefront of my mind, however, as tonight I reminisced with an old roommate about how we had decorated for Christmas just the year before. She worried about the tree situation over here in Macau. Would I have a tree and did I have Christmas music, she wondered. I reassured her that yes I do have a Christmas tree and, of course, I have my Christmas music (I listen to it throughout the year). She seemed relieved until I told her that I had yet to put up my tree, nor had I broken out the music. I tell you all of this to explain why it is now 1:03 am and I am still awake and on the computer. I put up my Christmas tree and put on my music. No need to worry, all is well. Below is a picture of my tree.

In case you did not figure it out, that is not really my tree. The next one is, but really, who can even tell the difference?

I have no reason for the above picture, but it was too good not to share. Yes, that is Chris sitting at a baby grand piano, in the midst of a roped off Christmas display, in a huge mall in Hong Kong. I think this photo was taken at the exact moment Chris realized that the mall security guard had him in his sights. And if I were one to title my pictures, I think I would have to name this one "Oh, ____" (you can fill in the blank with your word of choice) or maybe "Caught". More later. I am going to bed.

Happy Thanksgiving

2005-11-23T17:57:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. On this day I am so thankful to God that each person reading this has touched my life somehow. To my family and friends back home, I love you all!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Has It Been Almost a Month?

2005-11-18T08:29:00.000-06:00

I have no clue how to start this blog in a catchy way so I will just jump right in. It will be an adventure for all of us. Well, right now Macau is having its annual Grand Prix. The races are ran on the city streets, which I have to say makes for an exciting walk to work. The city streets are filled with passers-by watching as cars and motorcycles race by at dizzying speeds and the sounds of the race are a constant thing throughout the day. I like it. It is rather exciting. Jason, you would LOVE it! I will try to take some pics, but I am making no promises because it may just be a big blur.

Our second teaching term is now underway and I have to say that I am having a blast teaching this term. The fact that I feel like I am beginning to have a clue about what I am doing probably has something to do with that. I am now learning (I use that term loosely) Chinese from a very funny retired man. He has lots of spare time so we both benefit from this arrangement. He is very direct about telling me some of the things that I do as an American which may be offensive to the Chinese people. I REALLY appreciate this, but find myself also cringing with each new thing I learn because I can recall instances in which I have done those exact things. Fortunately the Chinese are extremely gracious and forgiving of my ignorance.

Changing topics abruptly, I think my decrease in blogging is actually the result of a good thing. Life here is beginning to feel normal. It feels like, well life, so it seems a bit strange to write an entry telling you that I went shopping today. But then I think about it and that is really what it is about. The going shopping part that is. I went shopping with someone who is not a Christian and every minute spent with this person is the reason why I am here. Maybe today there was no in-depth discussions about what Christ has done for all of us, but there was friendship. Love was there. Joy was there. Christ was there. So, today I went shopping and tomorrow I am watching a movie. Praise God!!

I am praying for all of you missionaries back home, that each time you go shopping or go to watch a movie that the love of Christ would be spoken, even if not by words. I pray that everyday you would see an new opportunity to love our Lord by serving others. I pray that you may know the blessing of having your heart break for those who do not know Christ and then doing something with that heartache. And I give thanks and praise for the wonderful ways God is using us together now and will continue to use us in the future.

Just About a Perfect Day

2005-10-23T07:50:00.000-05:00

Today was a good day indeed.

To me, there is nothing quite like the sound of the ocean. The tide rolling in and gently breaking against the beach produces a sound that has a calming and lulling effect on me. I could sit and just listen for hours. Since Macau is a peninsula, that is one of the things I was looking forward to on my sojourn here, the sound of the ocean. However, hearing this sound has proved to be more elusive than I had hoped. Today was different though.

After having a late lunch with some new found American friends, we all decided to make a trek to a beach that neither Chris nor myself had yet to visit. I cannot remember the name of the beach, but really the name is unimportant. Just going to the island of Coloane is a treat in itself. The entire island has a feel to it that an antithesis to just about everything that is Macau. Upon arriving at the beach, it was almost deserted. It was quiet and beautiful in a way that only sand and the ocean can be. As I said, I can always just sit and listen to the ocean. To make this story even better, the weather in Macau is now balmy and breezy. It actually feels good to be outside.

This is me enjoying the myself on the beach. And no, it doesn't take much to amuse me.

Now you may think that the above is enough in itself to make the day a good one, but it gets even better. After sitting on the beach for a while, we go to a nearby cafe and have some very good coffee. We chose to sit outside so we are still able to hear the beach, and this particular cafe has birdcages at each table. So we were serenaded by a bird as we are enjoying our drinks. And no the story does not stop there.

This is Chris and Erika on the beach.

It turns out that one of the Americans is a runner, yes a runner!!! And it just so happened that he was meeting a friend in Coloane to go running in the mountains later in the evening. So I was able to get in on the running and it was perfect. Well, to be completely honest at first, I was afraid that I was not going to be able to hang with these guys. The very first thing we did was run up and hill that just kept going and once it finally stopped, we started up some stairs. Needless to say, it was a bit more difficult than a treadmill. However, once we made it past that particular section, the trail was not so bad. And the view was great. It was around 5:30 when we started running so it was cool and nearing the last stages of daylight, so it was similar to the time that I would run at home. Just being able to run outside and feel the breeze blowing on my face and hear outdoor sounds rather than M&M (that is what they play at the gym) was such a treat. I found myself just hanging back and enjoying being outdoors, basking in the quiet and peacefulness that was everywhere. Well, if you discount my gasping for air the first ten minutes, then it was quiet. And yes, I survived the run, however as I am sitting here I can already feel the beginnings of soreness setting in. I do have to say that it was well worth it, and I have plans to go again soon.

Well... Let's Just Say That I am Excited

2005-10-22T11:29:00.000-05:00

Look what finally found its way into my apartment! A sofa! I will describe for you if I may. It is a big, brown, leather sofa that is long enough to lay down on and comfortably accommodates my American frame. As it is a used sofa it is already delightfully worn in and provides a rather nice place to laze around and watch TV or read a book. Since it is used, I was a little concerned about the condition which it would arrive. However, I have noticed no foul odors emanating from said sofa, nor have I noticed any stuffing coming out or springs poking me. So I am going to say that this sofa is about as close to perfect as a sofa can get. I am having trouble leaving my apartment this weekend, because I just want to stay at home and enjoy having a couch. And here it is...

For My Mom

2005-10-20T00:14:00.000-05:00

I am fine!!! Do not worry!!! When I write things like I did in my previous blog, you always worry and think that I am not doing good. Obviously I fail to emphasize the fact that I do not view "bad" feelings as, well... bad. They are just what I am feeling at the moment. They are momentary and fleeting, and yet used powerfully by God to show me something new about Himself or, in a far less glorious light, myself. So, in fact, you could say that feeling bad is good. Please also recall the level of my stubbornness. As much as both of us may wish it otherwise, you know the idea of an "easy lesson" is foreign to me.

There is a lot of good things that happen to me here. If you must know, the previous blog was written in the midst of one of the better, more relaxing weeks I have had to date. Things are good. Today, I would even go so far as to say that things are great. I have set in my apartment for the better part of two days, doing nothing but some light reading. That is something that I have not been able to do since long before I left for Macau, so it has been a special treat indeed. I have gone out for lunch with friends and just been able to hang out for the sheer pleasure of hanging out. So yeah, things are very good. Now if only I had a bathtub to lay in for a couple hours...

2005-10-17T23:23:00.000-05:00

Bam, bam, bam. Yes, this is the sound that surrounds me everyday, and it is accompanied by the occassional sound of a drill. While these sounds are annoying on my day off to say the least, they are also a reminder of something of far greater concern than my loss of a quiet day at home. Let me expand upon that just a bit.

The main religion here in Macau is an ancestral folk religion. People here are required to care for their ancestors in the after-life. Therefore they must sacrifice things to provided for them, for example, food, money and incense are common things to be sacrificed here. There is also a very strong awareness of evil spirits here. I am not exactly certain about the perceived origins of these evil spirits, but many precautions are taken to expel evil spirits. Thus the reason for the first sentence of this entry. Whenever someone moves into a new apartment, they frequently renovate because it helps to expel any evil spirits. As if having constant auditory reminder (minus an hour for lunch) isn't enough, there are numerous shrines and bins for burning sacrifices that sit outside almost every building. This type of worship is so common here that the apartment buildings even have a place for a shrine built into the walls outside the door of each apartment. As I walk up the stairs to my apartment, I am greeted on each different level by red bins that are used for the sacrificial burning of offerings. I am constantly surrounded by signs of urgency.

Yet despite this, I find there are times when these shrines fail to signify to me the certain death of the people here. "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned-" Romans 5:12. These people who are now becoming friends instead of a myriad of unknown faces, these people who are letting me into their lives and sharing their stories with me, they are all dead. This is a harsh way of writing about things, but to speak of things as they really are underscores the urgency and frightening reality of what we all face without Christ. It also has an interesting effect on one's sense of perspective.

Keep the above in mind as you read the following about "how I am doing".

To say that things are not as I imagined they would be is an understatement. I do not know what I expected really. In the beginning, I think I would have said, with a fair amount of confidence, that I have no expectations. I can now say that although they were obscure, perhaps even unconscious, expectations, I must have apparently had expectations none-the-less. I know this now, because they have, until this point, been spectacularly...unmet. Did you think I was going to say met? Nope. I have been disappointed time and time again. These expectations were not about people I would meet or places I would see. They were about myself. My prideful, sinful self. I am still not exactly certain what I expected of myself. Maybe to breeze through with not troubles (again unconsciously, never would I admit this to myself much less everyone else) because at this point in my life, little has challenged me as much as serving the Lord here in Macau. Maybe to feel sad sometimes, but for the most part to only have positive and HAPPY emotions, because after all, I am on a mission trip. I guess in a way I was correct about not having expectations, I certainly did not expect to feel the rather human emotions of anger and just plain irritation, as least not in greater portion than the HAPPY feelings. I will stop now because I think some of the irritation is spilling over as I type.

Is any of this important when compared with the need over here?(see paragraphs 2 & 3) I don't think so. When I am asked how I am doing, I generally just say fine, because a honest answer is complicated. Here is the honest answer: crappy (no not the fish, just plain crappy) but great. Yeah, it is hard for me to wrap my mind around too.

On other topics, I have learned that teaching English has its funny moments and that American television, while funny, can lead to interesting discussions. I have a rather advanced student that likes to practice his English by watching American TV shows. His most recent lesson came in the form of a "Friends" episode. Being the good student that he is, he came to me with several questions regarding a few things he had heard on the show. He wanted to know what it meant to "flash someone" and what diarrhea is. He also wanted to know what "butt-clincher" meant. First, I had to explain what a butt was and then what clincher meant and then we had to combine the two so that he was able to better understand. He kept referring to a butt with an term that is inappropriate in many circumstances, I then had to explain to him that when he goes to America he may offend someone by saying this word to them. He was very matter-of-fact about all of this and when I would explain it to him he would just nod very seriously and say "ok" and then move on to the next question. I , on the other hand, was torn between struggling to not fall over laughing and embarrassment. It was a fun class and he is going to bring me some Reese's peanut butter cups back from the states:).

Here I want to tell Amy thank you so much for the book and letter, and to Nancy for the package ( your letters are in the mail, but I thought this might reach you faster). It was like Christmas. No, I do not have the book and already enjoying it. And if I am frugal, the Reese's should last me until my student gets back from the states. I also loved the lotion. Since it is so hot and humid over here, I have forgotten what its like to smell good. Perpetual sweatiness does not lend itself to smelling very nice.

I would also like to say thank you to everyone for all of the care you send my way and the prayers that you pray for me. All of your support and encouragement gives me a renewed sense of energy and feeling your love helps me to love others better, and so I thank you more than you could ever know.

Please keep praying for the people here in Macau and around the world that do not know Christ. Also please pray for all missionaries serving the Lord, that they would be willing servants for the Lord. Thank you again.

God's Blessings.

2005-10-06T19:46:00.000-05:00

As you may be able to discern from previous posts, there is no rhyme or reason to the things I write here. I simply sit down at the computer and go. Sometimes I begin with a specific story in mind and others I begin with a feeling on my heart. The latter is the case today. I am continually amazed and awestruck when God's grace is revealed to me more fully. What can we say or do in response to all that we have been given? I cannot even write about the joy that I experience when the Lord shows to me all of my many weaknesses and faults. Yes, joy, because then I truly see how much Christ loves me. Sometimes, ok a lot of the time, I can wrap myself in a shroud of pride that blinds me to who I really am, and through that blindness, my view of Christ becomes all the more obscure. I am constantly, everyday in need of saving. I would have given up on me long ago, but Christ does not. He saves me from sin and myself day in and day out. I cannot comprehend such love. Even more, that love and forgiveness is given so completely and so freely.

Amazement. That is the word I would use to describe how I am feeling at the moment. I often ask the Lord for more wisdom and knowledge, and each time the Lord answers my prayer by pointing me back to the cross. I was talking to a friend the other day and telling him about how some people in the congregations here do not know English, but they do know one phrase. "Jesus loves you." His reply was that this phrase was pretty much all that they needed. I whole-heartedly agree.

So this entry is not an update on the happenings here or a glimpse of the things I have seen in Macau, it is just an out pouring of praise for the Lord and for all that he has done. Praise for all that is happening inside of me and depsite of me, and praise for a clearer view of the Lord.

Thank you Lord for breaking me and my will to reveal yourself more fully. Thank you.

2005-10-04T19:58:00.000-05:00

It appears that many people were unable to open my newsletter so I am putting it on my blog. The formatting and all of the other fancy stuff did not transfer too well so it is pretty plain.

LCMS World Missions
www.lcmsworldmissions.org
Cassie Thomas September Newsletter serving in Macau
Life in Macau
Life in Macau is, well, LIFE. Things happen in a similar manner here as in the United States. Well, there may be a few differences. Public transportation, “motorcycles” coming out of nowhere (they are really scooters), delicious looking cakes with chestnut paste inside (chestnut paste tastes like beans). Yeah, all of these things have given me a pause, but I think I am adjusting. Being able to experience many new things is a definite bonus, but interacting with the Macanese people, is one of the greatest things about being in Macau. I am not able to describe the joy that I feel when they reach out to me in friendship, when the seeds of a relationship are planted.
(Just as a side note, I have found that people respond very well to hearing about the many mishaps that I regularly encounter, so if you are one of these people, the website I have listed below tells more about my daily escapades. Enjoy!)
The Lord's Work
It is amazing to witness the many different ways that the Lord brings people to himself, and even more amazing, he uses us to do this. He puts me somewhere and then brings people to me, all I have to do is quiet myself so that the Holy Spirit can be heard. The Lord has blessed me with a blossoming relationship with a national here in Macau. Lilly is a wonderful person and is quickly becoming a good friend, but does not know our Savior. She is always willing to talk about Christ and asks many questions about my faith and about God. Please pray for her eternal life. Please pray that she would experience a softening of her heart toward the Holy Spirit and that she would come to know Jesus. Please pray that I would be used for this purpose.
Please continue to pray for all of the people that attend the Bible studies offered at the center, that something will be different the next time they attend. That maybe just one word whispered to them by the Holy Spirit would take root in their hearts. Please pray for their souls.
Thanks
Thanks to everyone for your continued support and prayers. Your support is a great source of encouragement and strength for me.
Contact Information:
Cassie Thomas Email:cassiedt@hotmail.com
Rua de Pequim, no. 174 http://journeytomacau.blogspot.com
Edf. Centro Com. Kong Fat, 6a-b
MACAU SAR (via Hong Kong)
To be added or removed from this mailing list please email me at the above addresss, with the word ADD or REMOVE in the subject heading.

More Pictures

2005-10-02T09:06:00.000-05:00

This post is going to be mostly pictures, as I am not feeling particularly prolific at the moment. However, I have seem some sights that I thought I would share with everyone. This past Friday, Chris, Julie and myself went on a hike with a student from the Center, Mario, and his family. We took a bus over to Taipa (the bus system claimed another victim on this day) to meet Mario and were treated to a car ride over to Coloane, the farthest island from Macau. This island is the quietest and calmest and greenest and most peaceful place in the whole of Macau. I like going there.

The picture above is the view from atop the mountain. The pictures below are of the new A Ma Temple that was built on Coloane just last year. Millions of dollars were spent to erect this place of goddess worship.

These are just random pictures of a couple of the funny things in Macau. Below is a man repairing a sign in front of the English Center.

Safety Regulations, who needs 'em?!

Below is a picture of my dryer. I knew that those bars on my windows were for more than just deterring would be burglars and looking pretty.

Joy

2005-09-27T23:14:00.000-05:00

Being surrounded by tons of shouting children may not seem like fun to some people, but for me, it is pure joy. And if such is the case, then one might consider today to be a small glimpse of heaven for me. At the end of last week, the English Center received a phone call requesting the services of a foreigner to teach English at a public school here in Macau. I hurriedly volunteered only to withdraw the offer as it would require me to forgo teaching a bible study on Wednesday mornings. It turns out no one else wanted to do it, so that left me. The plans were finalized on Monday, I met with the contact person Tuesday afternoon, and by Wednesday morning I was standing in front of 38 giggling children. What fun!!

I love children. I love the fun they have with everything they do, and I love the fact that they are unafraid to express the joy and happiness that they feel. When I first learned of the position, the thought of teaching for an hour and a half was a little troublesome. I did not know how long they could sit and listen. My fears were unfounded. Before I knew it, the other teacher was coming in and signaling to me that my time was up. There is a short ten minute break within the hour and a half, and during that break (since I am the only foreigner in the school) I was the object of much curiosity. Children came from all corners of the building. Apparently the word had gotten around that a foreigner was in the building. I was surrounded by too many children to count all wanting me to shake their hands and say hi. Have I mentioned that I had fun yet?

So it was a fun morning and I get to teach the little angels all year long which includes Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. The perfect time to share Jesus with a group of 8 year olds, dontcha' think?

Story Time

2005-09-25T05:34:00.000-05:00

In the past few days, I have had a few "dumb foreigner" moments. They are all humorous enough that the recipients of the stories laugh even though I am the one doing the telling. (FYI, I am terrible at telling stories). Sadly though, the humor apparently does not transfer through the internet too well, as I tried to tell a story to a friend the other day and it fell appalling short of funny. Having said all of that, I am going to attempt to tell another story. I apologize ahead of time.

I first need to explain the bus system in Macau. Many of my fellow teammates have fallen victim to the notorious enemy we call the bus. We will get on the bus thinking we are going to one place and then end up in, well I would say another, but the truth is we do not have a clue where we are when we get off of the bus. It is funny when we will go some place we have yet to go and someone will usually say, "Oh, I have been here before. I missed my stop and ended up here, I just didn't know where 'here' was." So without going into too much detail, I will just say that the buses are confusing and difficult to master. The buses are not our friends.

So today I had a new experience with the bus. I was meeting one of the students that attends our Friday night bible study at the fountain near my apartment. From there we were going to take a bus to a nearby school to go swimming. When we boarded the bus, it was unusually empty, which afforded us the luxury of sitting rather than standing. However, we were unable to sit together. I sat at the front of the bus (right behind the driver), and she sat in the center, more towards the back of the bus. This particular bus had a door at the front through which the passengers boarder, and a door at the back that was used for passengers exiting the bus. As we pulled up to the next bus stop, I think about, oh, I would guess 1000 people, boarder the bus. Ok, maybe not 1000, but I honestly do not think that one more person could have squeezed in the door. At the next bus stop, someone else squeezed in the door. The same thing happened at the next one, and the next one, and well, you get the picture. The bus was crowded. At this point the distance between me and that back door could have been a mile. Molly stands up and tells me that this is where we need to get off. Great. So I begin the struggle of squeezing past people and throwing out an 'm goi' (excuse me in Cantonese) every now and then, in am attempt to get off of the bus. I can no longer see Molly at this point, as she was much closer to the door and had already successfully navigated to maze of people and seats. I finally make it to the back door, only to have it close right in my face. It was like a scene in a movie. Molly and I were both trying to stop the door from closing and when we realize that our attempts are futile, we reach for each other, only to have our clasped hands seperated by the closing door. Meanwhile, the bus begins to slowly inch forward.

By this time some other passengers on the bus have realized that I need to get off here and that, obviously, I do not speak Cantonese. So the Chinese people, being the helpful people that they are, all start yelling. I think they are yelling at the bus driver, telling him to not take off, while simultaneously yelling at me to push the signal button again. While all of this chaos is going on inside the bus, Molly is outside running alongside the bus, banging on the door beside the driver, trying to get his attention. Well, something must have worked because eventually the bus stopped moving, and the door opened. Ahh, Freedom.

After a couple more 'm goi's' (which can also mean thank you), I stepped off of the bus to face Molly laughing hysterically. After we both stopped laughing, she began to give me a few suggestions as to what I should do if ever I were to find myself in that same situation. She taught me how to tell the bus driver in Cantonese that I still needed to get off of the bus. You would think that after such a harrowing experience, those words would be seared in my brain for all time. Nope. Its gone.

So apparently, I did not impress Molly with my bus skills, because she would not take 'no' to her offer to escort me home. She road the bus with me back toward my apartment, which is in the opposite direction from her house, and then transferred buses to go home. It was very sweet and I had a great time with Molly, but, yes, apparently I do still need someone to take care of me occasionally.

2005-09-22T05:17:00.000-05:00

My job in Macau is officially a "Relationship Builder". In order to build a relationship with someone, you have to be willing to both give and receive. When I say give, I am referring to giving of one's self, of allowing people to see the real person. I have recently become aware of a difference in how I give and in how some of my new friends give.

Today, I was having lunch with a student that I have become close to over the past couple of weeks. As she is a Christian, I began to ask her for some advice on ways to present the Bible to low-level English speakers so that they would be better able to understand it. As a way to help me understand more of how the Chinese view things she told me the story of how she became a Christian. She began describing her past and the hurt and unforgiveness that she carried around and how through these things she was able to see her need to forgive and also to be forgiven. She was able to see her need for our Savior.

As I listened to her tell me this story in Chinglish, as she calls it, I was struck by the simple honesty of her words. She lacks the sophisticated vocabulary that we native English speakers often hide behind in the guise of expressing ourselves eloquently. She told me how her "heart hurt inside of her" and how when she was unforgiven, she felt like she was "carrying something very heavy on her shoulders". She also spoke of how she had thought that others were "very bad" and then she realized that she was "very bad too". When it came time for a response from me, I tried to express myself in my normal manner. I quickly saw that simple honesty was going to be required from me also. It was a very moving and humbling experience to see such emotions laid bare and to express mine with such simplicity, even if it was out of necessity.

The Lord works through so many things to bring us to a greater awareness of him and our need for him. Having our need for a savior stated so simply and boldly, once again pointed me to the cross of Christ. God used what we label a "barrier", something we see as a hinderance, to show us the power of the Cross and the peace and forgiveness that are found in its shadow. Mighty is the power of the Cross. Thank you Jesus.

Additional Info

2005-09-19T23:03:00.000-05:00

Just as a side note to the entry from yesterday. I was given the statistics for the number of people that crossed the boarder yesterday. The official count for the number of boarder crossers was 240,000. There are officially 480,000 people in Macau. You do the math.

Where to Begin, II

2005-09-19T07:34:00.000-05:00

The last couple of days, I have participated in many blog-worthy activities. The number of things which I will write about eliminates the possibility of a detailed recreation, however, the accompanying pictures should suffice.

Sharon, our coordinator here in Macau, has been in the process of adopting a Chinese girl, Joanna, for almost two years now. After much prayer and waiting, this hope has become a reality. On Friday, the guardianship papers were signed and Joanna spent her first night with Sharon as her daughter. Sunday afternoon, everyone gathered at St. Paul's to witness the adoption ceremony which honors all of those involved in seeing this dream come to fruition, and, most importantly, praises the Lord for answering this desire of Sharon's heart. The adoption ceremony was followed by Joanna becoming a child of God through the waters of baptism. I have found that in Macau, the solemness that accompanies most ceremonies in the states is conspicuously absent. This observation held true for this ceremony as well. Joanna was so eager to be baptized that she kept pointing the water and then her head. It was truly an example of how we as Christians should eagerly seek the Lord with child-like trust. It was also very humbling to realize that seldom do we do this. It was an emotion filled service that ended in a traditional Lutheran way...with food.

Joel, Joanna, Sharon, Ruth, and Iantha at the baptism ceremony.

Sunday was also the moon festival which is celebrated in Macau with fireworks and food. The fireworks were great! I cannot remember the last time I enjoyed a fire works display with such enthusiasm. Maybe it was the tons of people watching in excitement, or perhaps the "ooh's and ahh's" that were heard throughout the crowd. Either way, it was a fitting end to a great day.

This is the square by my apartment decorated for the moon festival.

The fireworks display. Obviously the actual experience far exceeds the pictures. Sorry.

Today (Monday) is the day when, in celebration of the moon festival, everyone is off of work and they spend the day with their families. Today was also the day that Chris and I had to cross the boader as our visitors visas would soon run out. Although we knew that many people would be traveling Zhu hai today to see their family, we had no other choice but to cross the boarder. It was either that or be deported. Crossing over into China took about 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours total. It was a long, crowded wait. Once we were safely on the other side of the boarder and were no longer under the threat of deportation, our team parted company and agreed to meet back at the boarder gate. In the ensuing time period, I had a very nice meal that resembled Mexican cuisine (something that is difficult to find in these parts). I also had a nice massage. So I a feeling pretty relaxed as we head back toward the boarder gate, but the feeling did not last long.

This is me pre-massage. The massages are done a little differently here. As you can see the massagee remains fully clothed.

We made our way to this crowd of people thinking that we could try to go around them to get to the line. Nope this was the line, or as our team is now referring to it, "the crush". It was pandemonium. If ever I wondered what it felt like to be herded like cattle, now I know. I was stepped on, pushed, shoved, had a suit case digging into a very uncomfortable place on my body (i.e. a cow prod), and got very up close and personal with the other team members as we tried to stay together in this sea of people. Children were being lifted up out of the crowd and placed on the other side of the gates by the parents and officials so that they would not be harmed in this mass of rushing people. It was crazy. However, once we made it through the swarm, we actually made it through customs quicker. So it was a trade off. Anyhow we have made it safely back home and can remain in Macau without the fear of deportation for another 30 days. Thankfully it will not be a holiday the next time we have to cross the boarder.

So now I am back home and in the typical fashion of someone that shows tendencies of a blogging addiction, I am now posting an entry to commemorate the harrowing experiece of today. But now I am going to bed. Too much standing in line, massaging, standing in more lines and tons of people tend to tire me out.

Meet the Team

2005-09-17T10:42:00.000-05:00

As I read back through some previous posts, I realized that there were a couple of things I have failed to do. The first being that I have failed to properly introduce the other Macau team members. Secondly, I have yet to adequately describe to everyone what it is that I do on a day to day basis. The following post is an attempt to rectify these oversights.
Mary, Charmaigne, and Me

Ruth, Adam (Charmaigne's fiance), Charmaigne, Julie

Mary, Kate, Joel, Chris

A little about the members:

Mary is from Illinois and has already been in Macau for six months and will remain in Asia for another year and a half. While she is still a part of the Macau team, she is currently serving in another city.

Kate is from Minnesota or Wisconsin (sorry I do not know for sure). She is now serving in another city along with Mary. Her term in Asia will last until December.

Ruth has been serving in Macau for three years. Originally she was only going to stay a year, however, it seems that the Lord still has work for her to do here in Macau. Who knows where she will go next and when it will be.

Julie came to Macau a year ago and has recently extended her term. She will be serving an additional 6 months.

Chris, from Colorado, met me on Hong Kong and will be with me throughout the year.

Joel, along with his wife Iantha and daughter Eliada (not pictured), have been in Macau for a year and will be here another year as he is now completing his vicarage.

Sharon is our coordinator at the English Center and I do not have a picture of her. She has been in Macau for three years and plans to make a career of her work here in Macau.

Charmaigne is not associated with LCMS, but works at the center teaching low level English classes. She recently moved here from Austrailia, so she is going through adjusting to Macua along with me and Chris.

There are also two more team members ( I don't have pictures of them either), Jean and Gerry from Michigan. They will be serving for 4 months.

Now about the day to day routine. Just be warned that the following description may not sound like an actual "job" to some people.

My day begins around, oh, we'll just say 9:00. After a leisurely cup of coffee, I make my way to the gym around the corner from the center and have a brisk workout. Our center offers four different types of classes. We offer private tutoring, which is a one to one English session. We also offer classes that range in topics from general chat to baking. A nearby hotel, The Mandarin Oriental, procures our services to teach certain staff members English that is specific to their job. Lastly, we have the free bible classes. These are by far the most fulfilling way to teach English. Included in these classes, is a time to interact with students with the hope of building a relationship with them.

A very interesting and saddening occurrence that I have seem many times with the students in the bible classes is that they possess knowledge of the bible and of what Jesus has done for us, but the key to eveything, Christ, is not real to them. I can ask them many questions about facts from the bible, and the students have a ready answer. But after they have given the answer, they are ready to move on to the next question. It is though learning things about Christ is the same as learning math. How sad it is for me to see them treating such a precious gift as though it is a mundane and everday fact. How frightening it is to know that they possess the knowledge of what God's saving grace is, but lack the true understanding. Please pray for the students here in Macau, that there may be a softening of their hearts. That the Holy Spirit would work in them to give them an understanding of what the cross of Christ truly is. Please pray for me, that I would be vessel of the Holy Spirit and that the words God speaks through me would not return void.

Back to a day at the office. The atmosphere at the English center is pretty relaxed. We operate on the "come and go as you please" format, and as long as we get our work done, all is well. As the title of my job is 'relationship builder', a large portion of my time is spent hanging out with student. So more often than not, I am going to eat, going shopping, going sight seeing. Yeah, I know, it is rough.

As you can see here, Chris is very relaxed.

Spending time with the English students is an very interesting experience. When I first came to Macau, the differences between our culture and theirs were not readily apparent as I had yet to interact with any of the students on a more personal level. Now that I have had an opportunity to do so, many subtle (and not so subltle) differences are emerging. One example of this is that the Chinese people ask, "Have you had your dinner yet?" by way of greeting, whereas we in America might ask one another, "How are you doing?" At first this confused me because, even though I had been told this bit of information previously, I would still assume that they were then going to ask me if I wanted to go eat.

Another difference is that they are very much a culture that takes care of one another... down to the tiniest details. In America, one person telling another person what they should do, may be construed as rude in some situations. Not so here. Someone telling me what I should do about this or that, is pretty much an everyday occurence. There is also a Chinese NO and an American NO. In America, theoretically, No means No, but in China, No does not mean No until it has been said three times. Someone will offer me a drink and I will politely say, "No thank you". They then proceed to ask me two more times, and if I really did want a drink it would be considered rude to accept on the first offer. So this leaves me with a delimma. I am afraid to say Yes to the first offer, but also afraid to say No because what if they do not offer again. And these are just some of the small differences that I have noticed so far. There are probably many more differences that I have not noticed yet and because of that am unknowingly insulting people. Good thing the Chinese are kind people.

I want to end by telling everyone thanks so much for all of the emails and letters that you have been sending. I love to get mail! Plus, I love to hear what is going on in everyone's lives. Thanks also for all of your prayers!

In Christ,

Cassie

Correction

2005-09-12T02:02:00.000-05:00

Sorry, it has been brought to my attention that Richard Marx sings "Right Here Waiting For You", not George Micheal. By the way Bryce, it is scary that you know that.

No More Please

2005-09-11T06:37:00.000-05:00

Just one more thing for the day. Is anyone else having nightmares with "Right Here Waiting for You" by (oh yeah!) George Michael being the theme song? It is quickly becoming my most hated song, followed by Celine Dion's rendition of the Titanic theme song. Please make it stop!

The latest...

2005-09-11T03:20:00.000-05:00

Things have been relatively quiet for me the past few days. There has been less stress, less running to and fro, and less angst. Life is beginning to feel more normal and a routine is starting to emerge. All of these changes are wonderful, but now I have time to think, and think, and think. I think I think too much.

When I first arrived in Macau, most of my energy was focused toward, well... survival. You know things like learning how to cross the street and deciding which street to cross. And finding the answer to important questions like, "Can I eat that?" "Can I drink the water here?". Survival. For those of you who are familiar with Maslow's heirarchy of needs, I was definitely operating at the bottom of the triangle. So now that I have found the answers to these burning questions, I can think about other things. I think I may have reached the stage of focusing on "belongingness". Where do I fit in? How do I continue to be me and be part of the team at the same time? How do I let other people know who "me" is?

At this point, I think I should interject and say that none of these questions are meant to reflect anything of the other team members. They are all great, supportive, loving, fun Christian people. They have been so very helpful, and continue to be very helpful, as I am going through this learning period. However, for fear of talking a lot but not saying anything, I think the issue that I am currently dealing with is that, here, no one knows me yet. Sometimes my humor falls short of being humorous, sometimes my thoughts may seem a little too "out there" and sometimes my questions a little to probing. So to sum it up, I miss people who know me well.

Perhaps I am too impatient. Most of the relationships that I am referring to above took a long time, and a few struggles, to cultivate. But there is that certain sense of comfort in being known, and despite this, being loved. So to any of my friends back at home, who think that I am just having a wonderful time and not missing you at all (Pat:), you would be right in one sense. I am having a wondeful time, but miss you none the less.

Now having said all of that, the Lord is good. While I am growing and learning new things about the Lord, the main reason that I am here is so that others might know him as well. The Lord has placed some people in my life that are definitely searching. They ask me many questions about Jesus and how I live my faith. They ask about me my views on sin, happiness and peace. I know that the Holy Spirit is moving in them to give them this curiosity. Please join me in praying that they would come to know Jesus in their hearts, not just their minds. Please pray that I would be filled with the Holy Spirit as I talk to them. That all of my conversations would be "seasoned with salt".

It is such a rewarding and exciting experience to be able to share with Jesus with others. I could describe it in terms of an adrenaline rush. You know that feeling people are seeking when they do crazy things like bungee jump or sky dive, that is the feeling I get after I have opened myself to the leadings of the Spirit. I get that sense of freedom and excitement and peace all rolled into one. What a blessing! What a great God it is we serve. He rewards us so abundantly for doing the very thing we were asked to do.

I think I am starting to notice a theme to my blogging. I begin with the struggles that I am having as I adjust and learn, and then end with how the Lord is blessing me through these struggles. I guess that is ok, I would not want to end on a bad note:)

Chinese dinner

2005-09-07T07:12:00.000-05:00

The other night our team experienced our first dinner outing, Chinese style. The Chinese people dine family style, and as there were 16 of us present for this joyous occassion, we made for a very large and loud group.When dinig family style, a large lazy susan is situated in the middle of the very large table and everyone eats from the variety of dishes that are served. None of this American style eating where everyone gets his or her own dish to eat from. Nope, it is a free for all. The Chinese, however, are very gracious hosts. They always ensure that their guests are served before they see to their needs. Everytime a dish was brought out, more food was placed in my serving bowl regardless of whether I wanted it. There was also an endless stream of food arriving from the kitchen, so my serving bowl was never empty. And yes, the food was GREAT!!!

Another interesting part of the night occurred when the bill arrived. As the students had invited the teachers to eat with them, they insisted on paying and would not allow us to contribute in any way. Splitting the bill and figuring out who owes how much is a difficult task regardless of the culture. However, as the Chinese have a propensity for discussing everything with everyone before a decision is reached, splitting the bill was an interesting experience. Picture 8 Chinese people situated at various positions around the table, all discussing the best method to pay the bill. All of this occurred in Cantonese, of which I know none! So I am sitting at this table listening to a 10 minutes debate about the bill and then once the decision was finally reached the exchange of money took about 5 more minutes. This is in addition to the 1 and a half hours it took to discuss what food we were getting (talk about it), order our food (talk about it), get our food (talk about it), eat our food (talk about it). I think you get the picture. Dining Chinese style is a time consuming event.

Regardless of the above mentioned theatrics, the highlight of the night had to be "the Chicken head". Chicken in China is served with the actual chicken head. So there we were, all of us wasteful Americans who shudder at the thought of eating a chicken's head, taking pictures of this chicken head sitting so proudly amidst all of our food in the middle of the table. I could say that I was too culturally sensitive to take a picture of the chicken head, but that would be a lie. The truth is that only reason it is not on the blog for you to see is because I accidently deleted the picture. Sorry.

Here is a nice group picture of all us.

Here is Chris with some friends from the center.

Here is Gerry with our hosts.

Now, having expounded upon some of the differences that exist between the Chinese culture and the American culture, I wish to say that the most gratifying thing the Lord has shown me thus far is the similarities between us all. I have noticed some of the differences that exist between the two cultures and have had to stretch myself in order to accomodate these differences into my life. However, my understanding has also been stretched by the similarities that I see among us. The Lord has allowed me to see people... just people. And in seeing people, both in happiness and in sadness, I am better able to understand the need we all have for Christ.

Praise be to God!

A Day in the Life

2005-09-01T07:36:00.000-05:00

Last night around 3:00 am, I was woken by the sound of Chinese men shouting at one another as they attempted to empty the garbage with what had to be an army tanker. This is apparently the efficient time take care of things of this nature here in Macau. Efficient? Maybe. Considerate? Definitely not! I guess the men were shouting at one another in an attempt to be heard over the roaring of whatever type of machinery they were using to get the job done. But when one is woken from a sound sleep by shouting, immediately thoughts of doom come to mind. I thought the something had fallen on one of them! This jolted me awake rather quickley, but as I lay there, I figured out that nothing bad had happened. They were just talking to one another very loudly.

So as I am laying there, wide-awake at this point, the thought crosses my mind that this would be a funny episode to blog about. Then my next thought was "I can't believe I am laying here at 3:00 am, after being woken up by this stuff and now I am already thinking about blogging this"!
God has definitely provided me with a sense of humor that allows me to deal with things much more graciously than I ever could on my own. Even some of the more unsanitary habits I have witnessed here in Macau, I am beginning to have fun with. If you want to know more about this topic, then email me, because it is probably not a suitable topic for a blog post.

Anyhow, today was my first official day off. I had the entire day to wander around the city at my leisure and do the whole tourist bit. I first visited the Ruins of St. Paul. This was a cathedral that was ravaged by fire and only the steps, the facade, and a bit of the foundation were not destroyed. Several tombs were contained within the foundation and they also survived. There is a crypt that is part of the tourist attraction, and it contains the remains of several martyrs.

The facade and the steps leading up to the ruins.

The crypt and the tombs inside

I also visited the fort which is located next to the ruins. The fort of perced atop a large hill, and offers an incredible view of the city. I sound like a tour guide, huh?

Altar just inside the entrance to the fort.

The garden within the fort.

This is the view from atop the fort.

The next place I visited was a city park. The park itself is beautiful, however it was the people there that were the most interesting. As I walked into the park, there were several people sitting around talking and children playing. This is also the park where many people bring there birds. The people will bring there birds (in their cages) to the park and hand the cages near other bird's cages so that the birds have a chance to socialize. They even swing the cages back and forth in order for the birds to get some exercise. No kidding! Further up into the park, I think I must have unknowingly entered the men's section. There were men gathered in small groups either talking, playing what appeared to be some type of board game, or smoking. This park was further away from the tourist section, so the fact that I was out of place was readily apparent. I received some of the same looks as when I visited mainland. Especially when I was in the men's section. It was an interesting glimpse into the everyday lives of some of the people.

The entrance to Camoes park.

This are the men playing some type of game. It appeared to be a Chinese type of dominoes.

This is the area where the birds can socialize and do a bit of exercising as well.

One last pictue, this is the park that I walk by everyday on my way to work.

My favorite part of the day though would have to be going into all of the small shops. As I would enter the shops, the store owners would immediately approach me and try to sale their wares. Then the bargaining began. Something that is quickly learned in Macau, the price marked is usually negotiable. This whole bargaining game is such fun for me. I do not know how many shops I went into, a wnd as soon as the owner would tell me the price of something, I would immediately begin bargaining with no intention whatsoever of buying it. I just wanted to see how low they would actually go. I would offer this ridicuously low price and watch their reactions. It was so fun!

Every Friday night, the center hosts a Bible study in Chinese for students who wish to gain a deeper understanding of the Bible. Last night, a new English student agreed to stay for the Bible study. After the Bible study was over, Lenny explained that he had never heard of Jesus before. He also said that prior to Friday night, he did not really know what the Bible was and that he thought is was "nothing but a boring book". He has now said that the Bible is very interesting and that he wanted to learn more about it. He has said that he will attend the Tuesday night Bible studies also. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will lead Lenny want to learn more about Jesus and show more interest in reading the Bible.

I know this was a long post, but thanks for reading all the way through. The best part was at the end. Bye for now!

Love,

Cassie

Hello

2005-08-28T09:53:00.000-05:00

Pictures!!!

I have such great friends: Mikka, Me, Dana, Tricia

This is packing day with Les, Amy, Katie, and Tricia (Pat)

More packing: Heather, Les, Me, Amy, and Mandy

Such a nice group photo:) Richard, Leslie, Tim, Me, Charlton & Zach

As I am still experiencing technical difficulties and everyone loves pictures, here are some pictures of my friends from Arkansas! (You cannot see our feet, but I promise we are all wearing shoes.) Sorry that I do not have anymore pictures of Macau, so the pictures and the actual post are going to be completely disconnected.

Since my last post, I have been working toward making my apartment more, well let's just say welcoming and leave it at that. Progress has been made. After hours of scrubbing (ok maybe not hours) I now have a white bathroom sink. Everything received a large dose of bleach, so even if surfaces do not exactly gleam they are germ free. Sarcasm aside, the apartment is actually beginning to feel like a home, which is a great feeling. And although unintentional, that last statement was a great segway into the next topic.

Feeling at home. I know we have all heard that saying (please forgive me for this) "home is where the heart is", and I suppose like all sayings they are categorized as such because they are so true. Home, for me, has changed physically. But this physical change has brought a greater awareness of the fact that this world is not truly our home. The Lord is our home. This fact has never been clearer for me than moments when all I want to do is hop on a plane and say forget it, this is too hard. There are times when all I long for is the familiar sight of my dog running up the drive way to greet me or the sound of silence. There are times when I long for the comfort of a friend playing with my hair or someone offering a shoulder to cry on, maybe even a hug. For me those things have always been "home", they given me a sense of comfort and stability. Now they are all the way around the world.

At this point you may be thinking that I am homesick and missing everyone, and in a sense you would be right. But it is more than that. There is a sense of joy in leaning on the Lord more fully. In chosing to go to Macau to serve the Lord I knew that I would be required to give up some things, namely the things mentioned above. I also knew that in taking this step, I would be more dependent upon him than I had allowed myself to be thus far in my short life. But in just the small amount of time I have been here, the Lord has blessed me beyond any of the sacrifices I have made. Away from the things that are familiar and safe, the Lord has revealed to me new facets of his personality, and what an awesome priviledge it is to be able to know the Lord. Being utterly dependent on the Lord also provided me the opportunity to experience the faithfulness of the Lord. The Lord has shown me that he is home. No matter where I may be, he is always my home, always there, and he always provides. The Lord has shown me his faithfulness in small tasks as well as large ones, and sometimes I think the smaller ones have had a more profound impact than the larger one.

I find myself having a difficult time truley expressing the feelings that I have right now. I am having one of those moments when words are inadequate. They cannot express exactly what I am feeling and experiencing right now, but often times that is how it is with the Lord. Words are not enough. So, yes sometimes I do get sad, but I also know better the meaning of joy. Sometimes I am having to learn so many new things and change so much about myself that all I want to do is shut everything out, but I also understand more of the Lord's strength and more of my weaknesses. Sometimes I want to go home, but I understand more deeply that the Lord is my home. I pray that you also may know the bittersweet joy of sadness, a sense of strength in weakness, and homesickness in the Lord.

Prayer requests:
There are several students that attend the bible classes at the center, but are not believers. Please pray that the Holy Spirit would work in them to lead them to faith.

Please pray for our team, as the "newness" is beginning to wear off and some of us are experiencing some difficulties.

Please pray for Sunny, she is a student at the center who is a new Christian. Praise God! Please pray that she will grow in her faith to the glory of the Lord. Please pray that her husband would also come to faith.

Thank you once again for all of your prayers; they are essential. "He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to delive us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many". (1 Corinthians 1:10-11) Bye for now! All my Love!

Cassie

Success!!

2005-08-24T03:27:00.000-05:00

It is amazing how now, when I am completely out of my depth, I have learned to take pleasure in small victories. In my last post, I wrote of the difficulties I was having in navigating the streets of Macau; so much so that even finding my own apartment was proving to be an elusive goal. Being completely out of my element also brings into focus how completely dependent I am on the Lord in accomplishing even the smallest task of the day. Such was the case with my first attempt to find my own way to work.

The adventure begins in my apartment. As I leave, I say a quick prayer to the Lord that he will keep me from getting so lost that I can not get back home and that along the way I will not be ran down by the millions (at least it seems like it) of mopeds that are buzzing around the city. Down the four flights of stairs I go and out the door. Ok so far so good. I have now successfully made it to the street. I follow a hand written map that was quickly scrawled on a scrap of paper by one of the veterans here in Macau. That scrap of paper, which holds all of the answers to my current dilemma, shakes in time to the tremors that have over-taken my hands. The first 100 yards of the journey are fairly uneventful, however, that quickly ends as I come to the first of many intersections that are scattered throughout my journey. More success. I made it across the street. And so the process continues until I finally make it to the English Center where I work. Praising the Lord and rejoicing I hurry into the office to tell my co-workers of the success I have just had. They are so kind and celebrate this success with me.

This is just another example of how the Lord strengths are seen in our weaknesses, because I am certain that it was not my navigational skills that got me to work.

On to other topics, many people have been curious about my living arrangements, so below are the much anticipated pictures. Please keep in mind that at this point little has been done. Just consider these the "before" pictures.

This is a picture of my living room and the big comfy, American matress that I mentioned previously. As you can see the only things that occupy the room at the moment are a bed and table. The sofa and TV are on the way!

This is of course my bathroom. It has a western toilet and believe me after using the bathroom in mainland China this is definitely one of the nicer features of my apartment. A "squatty" (minus toilet paper) is most common in mainland China.

This is my kitchen which has the room for the most improvement. I probably will not be doing any cooking for some time.

This has to be the best feature of my apartment. This is the view from my balcony. My fourth floor apartment overlooks this square and every morning I awake to the sound of the water in the fountain.

Hopefully I will soon be a bit more settled and the apartment will start to feel more like a home. I will post some "after" pictures when the process is complete. That is it for now. I pray that everyone is well. May the peace of the Lord be with you!

Where to begin??

2005-08-22T01:43:00.000-05:00

Well, first of all... I made it!! I arrived safe and sound in Macau on Tuesday just so everyone knows. My computer access has been somewhat limited up to this point which is why I am just now posting something.

As I said, I arrived in Macau late on Tuesday night, went straight to my apartment and proceeded to sleep for about 12 hours. The next few days were followed by Orientation. A.k.a., leading all of us around Macau like children because we are all completely lost at this point. Macau has a very interesting street system. There are no "right turns" or "left turns", everything circles around itself and twists this way and that way so much that I still am not exactly sure where I live! For someone who does not profess to have a sense of direction, navigating the streets of Macau is definitely going to be a challenge. The team here in Macau is great! They are so patient with my ineptitude in finding my home and they let me attempt to lead but inevitably they have to point me in the right direction. As you may be able to tell, being dependent on others to even get to work is a difficult thing for me, but I have faith that soon I will remember where I live!

On other topics, this weekend we (the team) traveled into mainland China. It was a great experience, as the mainland is different even from Macau. In mainland, the people rarely see "foreigners" so they were very interested in us. Any opportunity they had, they would try to engage us in conversation. There was some very interesting conversing taking place!! I was also able to experience a Chinese massage. It was great!! Maybe on of the highlights of the weekend. Two hours of massage! AHH!!

I have not done just too much at this point. My apartment still needs work as I currently sleep on a matress in the living room floor. The matress however is a nice, comfy American matress. The Chinese sleep on very thin, hard matresses. In fact, the first time I laid down on one I thought it was just the box springs and that they had forgotten to put the actual matress on the bed. But nope, I was mistaken. The hard thing I was to sleep on was a matress. So anyway back to the apartment, I still have some organizing and cleaning to do, but it has an incredible veiw of the cathedral square with a fountain.

Here is an interesting side-fact for you, and also a little advice if ever you decide to visit Macau or China. Bring your own toilet paper, because it is not provided for you. This is a lesson I had to learn the hard way! I have yet to visit a bathroom facility in which the toilet paper was provided for you. Apparently it is not the "done" thing around these parts.

Well, that is all for now. In the future, I hope to post pictures along with the posts. However for now that will have to wait. Today, my day off, my plan is to find my way from my apartment to the English Center. I will give you an update about the outcome of that endeavor. Until then peace and love!

What do we lack??

2005-08-09T11:16:00.000-05:00

The time is fast approaching for many of us to leave, myself included. For me it is a frantic rush to acquire the things that I can just cannot live without while in Macau. You know important things like a digital camera, and now I want an iPod, (things I can obviously not live without) and often I have found myself thinking, what do I still lack?

Skip back to a conversation I recently had with a friend. She was retelling a story she had seen on the world news of a man from Niger. He and his family were nomads and without food. In order to survive they were forced to eat their camel. Instead of questioning the Lord about why he and his family did not have enough food to eat, he was asking the Lord to forgive him. This story shamed me.

That man possessed the thing that I lack, a brokeness before our all powerful Lord. In my pride, I operate in this life with a sense of entitlement, as though I have done something to deserve all of the wonderful blessings that overflow in my life. My skewed vision of the world cannot be farther from the truth. What do I have to offer a God who bought my life with the life of his son? What do I have to give back to a Lord that gives me everything I have? Nothing. Now back to the question of what do I lack... nothing. The two do not seem to go together do they? Such is the grace of our Lord, that in our nothingness, we have everything. We lack not one single thing that we need in this life if we have our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

In I Corinthians, chapter 13, the famous verses about "love" are found. When I read thes passages, I sometimes put "God" in the place of "love". It makes sense because "God is love". " If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." (c13,v2). When I read the scripture in this manner, the nothingness of a life without God is illuminated. However, as I go about my life, I know that I lack nothing, because the greatest love of all has found me in Jesus Christ. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship" (Romans 12:1). What response can I give to this love, but to offer all that I have, and this is not even of my own power but through my Savior.

So in response to the question of "What do I lack?". Everything and Nothing. Praise be to God for my nothingness.

Call it whatever you like

2005-08-04T22:33:00.000-05:00

Hi everybody!! I have not posted anything for a while, but sometimes the creative juices just cease to flow. Anyhow, I have now acquired a digital camera (lots of fun!!) so be expecting photos at some point. That should be exciting, huh? And just in case anyone was wondering, I will be departing the country in 10 days and some extra minutes. I pray all is well with everyone as many prepare for their adventure. I pray also that the Lord would watch over your preparations and give you peace as you serve him. May the love of Christ lead you.

Sigh!

2005-07-20T12:15:00.000-05:00

Well, as you may notice from the date of my last post, extra time has been pretty sparce and my blogsite has suffered as a result. My blogsite is not the only thing that has suffered as a result of my busy schedule. It is the same old story that has probably happened to all of us at one point of another or maybe at more than one point. The hustle and bustle of life slowly edges out my walk with the Lord. I lose sight of the big picture.

I love to look at the sky. It is one of those interesting contradictions that exist within the wonderful universe created by our Lord. One day it can be a bright blue with floating white clouds, and another day it can be a turbulent array of different shades of gray. Yet regardless of the fact that the sky looks entirely different from one day to the next, it is always the same in some sense. It is always an ever present reminder of the greatness of God.

I have stopped noticing the sky. I walk beneath its awesomeness and glory each day and fail to appreciate its majesty and grandeur. Nary a glance heavenward do I cast, in my determination to get to "wherever" on time. Running from here to there, the only thing on my mind seems to be the next thing on my list. What a sad state I have found myself in. Caught up in a state of chaos that I myself have created, but have no way of saving myself from. I rush through each day without the grace and peace of the Lord that is readily available to me.

But the Lord, like the sky, is always there, ready to forgive me. His grace and mercy once again bring into focus the big picture. My life here on earth is not about getting things done, it is about serving the Lord and sharing the Gospel with those who do not know it. When I am able to view the things of this world from this eternal perspective, the peace returns.

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy - to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, throught Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

I noticed the sky today.

Oreo cookies, mmm!

2005-07-06T00:27:00.000-05:00

It has now become a nightly ritual that before I go to sleep, I first check my email and then check out everyone's blog sites to see if there are any new updates. While this activity is great fun and I love to keep in touch with everyone, I am exhausted! As we speak it is 12:20 am. I have to be up in about 5 1/2 hours. I must be crazy to be sitting here telling everyone about my state of exhaustion rather than giving it up and going to bed. But alas (that was for you Sam) here I sit, eating Oreos (hence the title of my post) and typing away. I hope you have enjoyed this profound glimpse into my life! Stay tuned, there is more where that came from.

The Count Down Begins

2005-07-05T00:46:00.000-05:00

It is now July 5th, 2005, 38 days left until I make the big voyage overseas. I now have a departure date which has created an interesting twist in the conversations that I have about the mission trip. This is generally how they go:
Person: "Oh, your going on a mission trip!?"
Me: "Yep."
Person: "Where to?"
Me: "Macau, China."
Person: "When do you leave?"
Me: "Sometime in August...I think."

Now, I find myself with a very firm date, August 12th. And so each time I tell someone the exact date I will be leaving, I am struck with the reality that the day is closing in. With each day that passes I realize that I have one less day to laze around MY house, to sit and talk with my mother and father, and to dance and sing with my best friend. One less day to say good-bye to everyone. I know that I may be seem a bit melodramatic, I mean I am only going to be gone for a year, right? And, while on one end of the spectrum a year is such a small span of time, on the other end comes the understanding that in one second lives can be changed irrevocably.

I don't really understand why the Lord has chosen me to travel to Southeast Asia (that is about as far from Arkansas as a gal can get) in order to share the news of Christ with the people there, but I do know the Lord has a plan that is far beyond the scope of my understanding. "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!!" (Romans 11:33). This mission trip has definitely been a path the Lord has led me down, a path that I in no way could foresee. As I realize the enormity of the task the Lord has placed before each of us, to be the love of Christ to the world, I gain a greater clarity of how unworthy I am of such a task. Once again, I am humbled to be given the blessing of sharing Christ's love and mercy with others. Praise the Lord!!

As you may be able to discern from the above ramblings, I have very mixed emotions regarding the mission trip. I am awed and excited that the Lord would allow me to be his messenger in a foreign country. Contradictory to those emotions, I am sad that I will have to leave behind many people that I love and scared that maybe I won't be able to do this. And so as it draws closer to the time to say good-bye to everyone, I am at a loss for words. What do I say other than good-bye and I love you!?

Lord, thank you for the grace and mercy you give to each of us everyday! Please be our strength where we are weak, our courage when we are scared, the words we need to share your Gospel, and the love we need to show a dark world. Please be our life always, for we can do nothing apart from you. Amen.

I am now a blogger!

2005-06-26T20:48:00.000-05:00

I have to admit that while I do keep a journal, posting my personal thoughts on the web for all to see is somewhat disconcerting for me. However, I am willing to give it a try. Here goes!

Well, the two week mission orientation is now over and I am once again at home living an everyday, average life. I try to tell family and friends about the amazing experience I had while at mission orientation, but I am unable to convey the depths of my feelings regarding the people I met there. I also try to explain the way God blessed each of us while there, but in that area too, I am unsuccessful in my attempts to help everyone understand. The Lord truly blessed the time I spent in Minnesota. I gained a greater understanding of how wonderful God is and He blessed me with many new friends.

Here I am going to use an idea from my wonderful, amazing roommate, Anna, and list some of my more memorable moments from orientation:

The fun time I had riding around with Ken at the airport (I think we drove around the airport 50 times)
Meeting my roommate and discovering that I had a running partner
Praying with everyone
Chapel (the singing was greeaat!!)
Running around campus in a group of 11
Meeting my great team mate (we are going to have great fun)
Playing volleyball and Ultimate frisbee!!
Playing basketball with everyone (sorry Kevin)
Having great late, late night talks with my super, super cool roommate
Going to the hospital with my roommate
Sitting on the floor in the waiting room with great friends, having wonderful conversations until 4:00 in the morning
Great conversation in the park while eating Reese's peanut butter cups
Watching little league baseball games with friends
Sam's T-shirt (ha ha)
Sam giving me his T-shirt when we said good-bye (so sweet)
Going to the Twins baseball game

Going to see the Mississippi and almost dropping the keys in the river
The Green Mill
Karaoke (great job Mark)
Staying up all night with Anne and Efrain
Singing Happy Birthday to Jersey
Going to Target
Jim Found (need I say more)

Finding the "Ping Pong" Room

"Life in the Fast Lane" and "NIPS"

The ice cream truck
the list could go on and on!!

Well, that was just a quick summary of some of the highlights from Mission Orientation. It was an unforgettable two weeks and I was sad to say good-bye. Thanks to everyone for being such an example of Christ's love and you are always in my prayers. I pray that once you reach the mission field that you will continue to be a light to those who do not yet know Christ. God's Blessing!!!